


Summer's Cove

by little__wiki



Category: Erin Hunter - Fandom, OCs - Fandom, Original Work, Original characters - Fandom, Warrior Cats - Fandom, Warriors, fanclans - Fandom, warrior cats ocs, warriors ocs - Fandom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-03
Updated: 2018-11-03
Packaged: 2019-08-17 02:57:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16508039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/little__wiki/pseuds/little__wiki
Summary: Love is a gamble





	Summer's Cove

**Author's Note:**

> Quick short story I wrote a couple months back. Kind of happy, kind of not with it
> 
> there is violence/mentions of blood but isn't too horribly bad (just making a note of it just in case)

The sun rose high in the sky, beating down onto the forest.  The leaves of oaks and maples protected the critters below from the bearing heat.  The air was still full of humidity. However, which made work tiring. That didn’t stop many from carrying on with their day though.  Mice rustled through the forest floor, scavenging for nuts, or any food really. Birds sorted through sticks and moss for their nests.  

But unlike the creatures of the forest, the cats of Hazelclan stayed confined to their camp or to the shadows.  It was mid summer and around this time was calmer. There was no rush to catch prey, the queens and their kits were well fed, the elders were watched carefully, the warriors and apprentices full of strength.  With the heat of midday out, many cats of the clan slept and exchanged word in camp. If not, the time was often spent hunting and patrolling the territory at the cooler times of day.

Ferretflower laid in the sun, he was one of the cats to be free of patrols.  His dusky brown fur caught the sunlight, making him sleepy. However he had no time for sleep.  His tired and lazy mood was a disguise for his excitement.

Ferretflower opened his amber eyes and looked over the camp.  Quailheart sat in front of the nursery, her two kits, Goosekit and Heronkit, tussled in the sand.  Ferretflower turned his attention to the elders den, in it he could see the faint silhouettes of what was Acornsong or Fallowgaze.  Beachrain and Olivetail were sharing tongues under the cliffy overhang that stood over the hollowed camp. Pinepool, their deputy, was talking to Waspcall, the two seeming to be having a gentle conversation.

Ferretflower rose to his paws, no longer being able to wait.  He stifled a yawn, shaking his pelt of sand. As calmly and natural as he could, Ferretflower headed for the entrance of the camp.  He climbed the rocky path and up to the ridge of the ravine. At the top of the entrance was a maze of bushes. Ferretflower pushed forward in the patch, branches caught on his fur as he crawled under and around the bushes.  After several tail legnths, he was out of the undergrowth and the forest in front of him. Ferretflower let out a chuckle and broke out into a run.

The forest was a blur as he sped through the woods, jumping over logs, swerving around bushes and trees.  The tom felt alive! The summer breeze flowed through his fur, it was warm yet still managed to cool him down.  After awhile Ferretflower slowed down and looked around him. He panted, catching his breath after his run.

Just as Ferretflower found his breath again, it was taken from him as something rammed into his side.  Ferretflower slammed into the ground, dazed by what happened. Everything around him spun as he was pinned.  A growl rose in Ferretflower’s throat and he kicked at his attackers stomach. The cat that pinned him fell away easily.  Ferretflower scrambled to his paws, confused at what had happened. No cat would be kicked away  _ that _ easily.  As Ferretflower’s vision settled on the cat in front of him, he scoffed.

“Hollow…”  Ferretflower meowed, the fur on his back settling.  The cat in front of him was a silver siamese tom, stripes aligning his face and legs.  The tom approached Ferretflower and nuzzled him in greeting.

“I scared you, I did.”  Hollow chuckled, pulling away from Ferretflower and met his gaze.  A teasing personality shone in the silver tom’s eyes.

Ferretflower smiled.  “If you were a rogue, I’d have you running through the trees, tail inbetween your legs.”

“Of course you would.”  Hollow meowed in disbelief as he turned and started to walk through the woods.

Ferretflower looked at the tom with amusement.  “You really want to try it?” Ferretflower called to Hollow.

Hollow turned his head around, and with a loud and confident voice spoke back.  “Don’t need to try it! I know it.” 

Ferretflower couldn’t help but grin.   _ I’ll show you, mousebrain _ .  With that Ferretflower spun around and raced after Hollow.  The tom looked at Ferretflower with surprise and let out a loud nervous laugh and he too broke out into a run.  Ferretflower had already managed to get somewhat close to the silver tabby before Hollow had also started to run and Ferretflower was the faster of the two.  Ferretflower glided in the air as he pushed himself forward with each stride. The two burst out through the trees and onto a sandy beach that outlooked a bright blue lake.  Ferretflower couldn’t help but be surprised at the sudden change of landscape. Hollow kicked sand out from under him as he ran, resulting Ferretflower to get a facefull of sand.  Ferretflower skid to a stop and his eyes shut closed. Hollow too noticed the smaller tom’s sudden stop and slowed his pace. He swerved around and trotted up to Ferretflower, who was shaking his pelt of sand.  Hollow looked at the tom with concern, nervous that he had gotten sand in Ferretflower’s eyes. 

“Are yo-”  Hollow was interrupted as Ferretflower flung himself at the silver tom.  Hollow quickly turned to defense and the two wrestled in the sand. Time went by quickly and after a bit of back and fourth blows, he thought he had the smaller cat pinned but Ferretflower yet again managed to wriggle out from under his grip.  

Ferretflower huffed, recovering from their playful tustle.  “What was that about not being able to catch you?” Hollow rolled his eyes.

“You never said anything about catching me, and you technically didn’t catch me anyways.”

Ferretflower laughed.  “Whatever makes you feel better, Love.”  Hollow sighed and approached Ferretflower.  He leaned up and groomed the top of Ferretflower’s forehead.

“We should do this more, I don’t get to see you enough.”  Hollow purred.

Ferretflower buried his muzzle into Hollow’s thin fur.  “I know, but I have my clan duties, and we need to be careful.  I think some of my clanmates are getting suspicious of me.”

Hollow paused and thought.  “Your code is so unfair. It seems as though it doesn’t let anyone be who they want to be.”

Ferretflower shook his head, “It isn’t like that!  It’s just.. It’s to make sure cats stay loyal to their clan.”

Hollow held back a growl and remark.  It was best to just let this conversation rest.  Hollow just wanted to spend time with his mate, who knew when the next time they would be able to see each other if Ferretflower was correct on the suspicion.

Ferretflower placed a paw on Hollow’s shoulder.  “Hey there, lighten up! Everything will be fine.”  

Hollow smiled and nodded.  “Hey mousebrain.”

“Hmm?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too!”

 

. . .

 

Ferretflower laid in the sand on the beach, Hollow curled up into his stomach, both of their pelts wet and in the process of drying.  The two had ran through the shallow water of the lake. Their laughs had filled the quiet, sticky air. Now they relaxed, tired from their day.

Ferretflower ran his tongue through Hollow’s drying fur.  The tom stretched and laid his head inbetween Ferretflower’s paws.  Ferretflower’s eyes widened. He loved this tom so much.

Ferretflower was jostled to attention when he heard sand be thrown into the air.  His head spun around and his eyes settled on Sootjaw, a clanmate. Ferretflower rushed to his feet, awakening Hollow who was shocked by the sudden movement.  Hollow blinked the sleep from his eyes and his gaze too rested on Sootjaw.

Sootjaw growled.  “I knew something was up with you!  Running off with a rogue when you should be helping the clan!”  Ferretflower’s fur stood on edge, his breath rough. He opened his jaw to speak, but nothing came out.  He searched for something to say but his mind was full of shook. 

“Awnser me!”

Ferretflower flinched at the she-cat’s command.  “This isn’t hurting anyone, Sootjaw! My loyalties are still to Hazelclan, I just..  I love him.” Ferretflower shyly put the words together and searched Sootjaw’s expression to try and see what she was thinking.

Sootjaw bared her teeth.  “Wrong answer.” With that Sootjaw leaped at Ferretflower.  Hollow scattered to his feet as he watched the two struggle.  Sootjaw, having Ferretflower at surprise, raked her claws down the tom’s shoulder and quickly pinned him.  Ferretflower let out a yowl. He rolled onto his back, being careful to protect his belly by covering it with his hindlegs, and swiped at the gray speckled she-cat with a frontpaw.  His claws tore through Sootjaw’s fur as he caught the side of her cheek. As he swiped for the she-cat, he brought his hindlegs forward and into her belly. The she-cat stumbled away from the tom.  She quickly got her footing.

“You’re betraying the warrior code!”

Ferretflower’s whole body shook.  Anxiety rocketed through him. He didn’t know what to do.  “I am, but even then some rules are meant to be broken. Multiple cats have ignored that rule before me, and everything was okay, Sootjaw!  Everything worked out. This can work out too! Can we just talk this out?” Ferretflower urged. Right now, he was more so just begging than trying to resolve this. 

Sootjaw paused and thought for a second, her attitude quickly changed.  “If.. If that is what it costs to put some sense into you.” Sootjaw slowly approached Ferretflower.  Ferretflower, quickly looked around for Hollow. The silver tabby stood behind Ferretflower, ready to defend himself and Ferretflower.  Ferretflower quickly turned his attention back onto Sootjaw. Tensions between the three cats were high. 

Sootjaw stopped a tail length in front of Ferretflower.  They both studied each other for several moments. Ferretflower relaxed.

“We can talk to Ryestar, she can settle this.”

Sootjaw’s eyes narrowed.  “Only one settling this is me.”  The she-cat raced forward and sprung at Hollow.  Ferretflower panicked. How did he not see through her bluff?  Sootjaw wasn’t a cat to talk things out!

Sootjaw’s teeth sunk into Hollow’s shoulder.  Hollow attempted to push her off, however the she-cat was bigger and stronger than both of them.  Ferretflower, without hesitation, hurled himself on Sootjaw’s back, his claws sunk into her skin. Sootjaw let out a hiss and let go of Hollow, who quickly scrambled away.  Sootjaw, her attention now back on Ferretflower, let herself drop as she rolled onto Ferretflower. Ferretflower shocked by Sootjaw’s sudden move, was left stunned on the ground.  He was about to move to get up when claws slide down his belly, tearing through skin and fur. Ferretflower let out a yowl in pain, blood soaked his fur and the sand. Hollow let out a cry in response.  Sootjaw stood over the tom, triumph in her eyes. Ferretflower gasped for air, trying to adjust to the pain.

“This is why you follow the code, Ferretflower.”  Sootjaw lunged for Ferretflower’s throat. The tom tried to move out of the way but he was too slow, her jaws clamped down hard.  This is when Ferretflower really started to struggle. He kicked out his legs, tried to rake his claws through Sootjaw’s fur, wriggled, anything to get her to let go.  However, the tom was too weak from the previous blow to shake off the larger she-cat. The tom’s movements slowed to the point where stillness. His head fell back in a silent cry.  Sootjaw let go of the tom, sticky, warm blood stained her jaw and paws. Hollow was frozen in place, tears ran down his cheeks. 

Sootjaw glanced at him and growled.  “Stay here rogue, unless you want to end up dead like him.”  Sootjaw huffed and walked towards the water, glancing back at Hollow through the corner of the eyes.  When she reached the edge, she rinsed her muzzle and paws off, the blood soaking into the water. She quickly turned back towards the rogue, who now had his muzzle buried in Ferretflower’s fur.  Sootjaw barked another command at the shaken up tom, “follow me. Don’t bother running away, Hazelclan will just hunt you down.” 

Hollow didn’t move.  Sootjaw grumbled and grabbed the dead cats scruff.  The silver tom let out a sob of protest as Sootjaw began to drag Ferretflower into the woods.  Hollow, not sure what to do, did as he was told and followed the she-cat. Before emerging into the woods, he looked at at where the scuffle occured.  Blood stained where Ferretflower was killed, streaks of blood followed them up the sand where he was dragged. Hollow’s breath shuttered and he continued into the woods.

 

. . .

 

Hollow’s mind was blank the entire trek.  He just walked mindlessly after Sootjaw. Hollow came back around every once in awhile, however he quickly dazed back out.  He wasn’t think, he couldn't think. He was crushed, confused, exhausted. 

Hollow snapped into reality when the scent of several cats caught the roof of his mouth.   _ Hazelclan. _  That’s what Sootjaw was doing, she was bringing him back to Hazelclan.  Questions quickly raced through his mind, suddenly more alive than ever.  What was going to happen? How would they react to Ferretflower’s death? Surely Sootjaw would be punished for murdering Ferretflower.

Hollow followed Sootjaw through undergrowth and they emerged into a raveine.  Hollow dipped his head down, unable to look at anyone. This was a nightmare. He’ll be awake in no time and back with Ferretflower.  Just a nightmare. Just, a nightmare.

Sootjaw made her way down the rocky path, Hollow following blindly.  Cats were already surrounding them, many whispered frantically with each other.  A loud yowl quieted them all and Hollow looked up. A fawn colored she-cat stood a top of a large boulder leaning out into the ravine.

As if being told to speak, Sootjaw dropped Ferretflower and spoke.  “Ferretflower is dead!”

The fawn colored she-cat studied the dead tom’s body and turned to Sootjaw.  “How?” Sootjaw turned around and faced Hollow.

 

“The rogue killed him.”


End file.
